Новости за 10.05.2024

Summary: Today, of the 3,970 B-29s originally produced, only twenty-two remain, mostly in museums. Remarkably, two have been restored to flying condition: "FIFI," which is maintained by the Commemorative Air Force, and "Doc," which was restored after serving as a missile target. These airworthy B-29s serve as flying museums, honoring the legacy of those who built and operated this historic warbird.

The United States Navy has made a significant investment in nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. There are currently eleven of them in service. Ten of those belong to the older Nimitz-class and one belongs to the newer, more expensive Gerald R. Ford-class (there are two more of these classes coming online over the next few years). 

Summary: The U.S. Air Force is progressing in the development of the B-21 Raider, a sixth-generation stealth bomber, as part of a global race that includes China's H-20 and Russia's PAK-DA programs. The Raider, expected to be a cornerstone of future U.S. aerial deterrence, boasts reduced per-unit costs following successful negotiations with Northrop Grumman, though specific figures have not been disclosed. It seems costs could be the real enemy for this new stealth bomber. 

It may have looked like the U.S. Navy was calling it quits in the Red Sea just weeks ago. Houthi rebels in Yemen might have thought they drove off the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) when it transited the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea.

SUMMARY: The USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy's most technologically advanced and expensive aircraft carrier, faces ongoing technical challenges that raise concerns about its operational capabilities.

Summary: China is aggressively expanding its aircraft carrier fleet, reflecting a broader ambition to exert global influence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. This expansion, part of a massive shipbuilding effort, includes the commissioning of the Liaoning, the domestically-built Shandong, and the more advanced Fujian, with a fourth carrier, the Type 004, in development.

Summary: The Yamato, commissioned in 1941, was the largest battleship ever built, marking the peak of battleship engineering before becoming obsolete with the advent of aircraft carriers post-World War II.

Summary: China's People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is rapidly expanding its aircraft carrier fleet, aiming for five to six carriers by the 2030s. Despite the global shift towards sophisticated anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems that challenge naval power projection, China continues to invest heavily in carriers.

Summary: The Lockheed Martin SR-71 Blackbird, a marvel of its time, remains the fastest aircraft ever flown, boasting speeds of Mach 3.2 and an operational ceiling of 85,000 feet. Despite being retired in the late '90s, its legacy continues with the development of its successor, the SR-72, also dubbed the "Son of Blackbird."

Summary: The U.S. Navy is cautiously advancing with the design of its future guided-missile destroyer, the DDG(X), with U.S. Navy officials spearheading the design and feasibility efforts.

Summary: In the 1980s, the Soviet Union unveiled Komsomolets, a groundbreaking submarine that set new depths for underwater combat capabilities. Despite its advanced design and technological prowess, a tragic fire in 1989 led to its sinking in the Norwegian Sea, taking two-thirds of its crew with it.

Russia's Sukhoi Su-25 is lighter and faster than the U.S. A-10 Warthog. But better? Not so fast: As the race to develop air superiority fighters skyrocketed during the Cold War, Soviet engineers produced the Su-25 Grach fighter platform.

Summary: The Israeli Air Force's Kfir combat aircraft, a brainchild of necessity and innovation, emerged from the shadows of the French-designed Dassault Mirage 5. In the aftermath of the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, Israel's reliance on French aircraft laid the groundwork for the development of a homegrown fighter capable of superior performance.

Summary: The escalating tensions between the United States and China highlight a potential conflict over Taiwan, exacerbated by the U.S.'s reliance on aircraft carriers, which China aims to neutralize with its missile arsenal.